A walk around the Village of Lime

28102012

A walk I recently took was around what is one of my favourite places in Singapore and what has to be one of the more colourful districts in Singapore – the area we now refer to as Little India, an area which was referred to as “Soonambu Kambam” in Tamil or “Kampong Kapor” in Malay which translates into “The Village of Lime”. The area is one that takes a life of its own every weekend when thousands of migrant workers from the Indian sub-continent congregate in the area and one, that in the lead up to the Hindu festival of lights, Deepavali (or Diwali), takes on a very festive atmosphere not just with the annual Deepavali street light-up, but also with the Deepavali bazaars around the area.

Men playing carrom – a popular game in the Indian Sub-Continent.

The Deepavali light-up with the weekend crowd.

The Anguillia Mosque during sunset prayers.

Colours of Deepavali – a walk through a Deepavali bazaar.

Many migrant workers from India and Bangladesh congregate in the area every Sunday bringing much life and colour to Little India.

Indian sweets are popular items – jelebi, pastry soaked in very sweet syrup.

An art deco hotel building in Mayo Street – the former South Seas Hotel.

A boy watches a five foot way tailor at work on the sewing machine.

A busy hole-in-the-wall shop.

Many gather to catch up with friends.

Anywhere’s a good place to sit around and share the week’s experiences.

A busy car park.

Balls of dough – bread in the making to feed the hungry.

Even with the crowd – it is possible to find a place to have a quiet moment.

Catching up on the news – the text on the newspapers reflect the many different parts of the sub-continent the migrant workers are from.

One response

30102012

Joanna Tan(09:14:34) :

Hi Jerome, great pictures. I like the one of the two guys sitting at the kerb with the handwritten sign behind them. The sign reminds me of a shop along Cuff Road that grinds curry powder on request. It was a nondescript shop with no markings, just a doorway with a handwritten sign that said “Cuff Road Curry Mill”. The air around the shop was always thick with spices and curry powder. Don’t know if the shop is still there though.

Boracay Island Escapade

Together with 9 other bloggers and thanks to Tigerair Philippines and the Philippine Department of Tourism, I found myself on a dream trip to Boracay in July 2013. Read about the fantastic experience I had at Boracay Island Escapade or on my blog.

The Last of the Dragons

At least nine Dragon (or Snake) Kilns were once found along the 13th to 18th Milestones of Jurong Road, attracted by the availability of Jurong White Clay - ideal material for clay latex cups. The cups were fired by the kilns to feed a huge demand from the rubber estates in the area. Over the years, most of the kiln closed due to the vanishing demand as the estates gave way to urban development. Only two, both of which have stopped operating commercially, have survived. The area the two, the Jalan Bahar and Thow Kwang kilns, are in is slated for development as a CleanTech Park, and the future for these kilns now looks bleak.

Much Ado About Bukit Brown

Trailer for BUKIT BROWN VOICES. The a short independently-made documentary tells the story of Singapore's oldest Chinese cemetery on the cusp of major change. Filmed during what is the last Qing Ming (grave sweeping) festival for some families whose ancestors are buried there, we hear their thoughts and memories about what the place and the customs they practise mean to them (a Film by Su-Mae Khoo & Brian McDairmant of Two Chiefs).

Gardens by the Bay

The out-of-this-world 54 ha. Bay South Garden of the massive Gardens by the Bay was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 28 Jun 2012. It opening its doors to the public the following day attracted huge crowds on opening weekend. The series of posts here are from several media previews, opportunities to photograph the gardens before it was opened to the public, and of the official opening during which I had a better view of the completed Cloud Forest - one of two cooled conservatories at the garden. Two photographs that I took prior to the opening were among 20 that were selected for a roving exhibition.

Singapore Memory Portal

Share your personal memories on the Singapore Memory Portal - an initiative by the National Library Board (NLB) as part of the Singapore Memory Project (SMP). The SMP is a national initiative started in 2011 to collect, preserve and provide access to Singapore’s knowledge materials, so as to tell the Singapore Story and aims to collect 5 million personal memories by 2015.

Walks back in time with the NLB

Beyond the Slumber (Sembawang - 27 Mar 2011)

Highlights of a heritage tour of Sembawang, with a focus on the Sembawang that I was familiar with in the 1970s. The two and a half hour tour included a visit to the last kampung mosque in Singapore, as well as to several other points of interest in Sembawang. Information relating to the walk and some of what we saw or were transported to can be found in the post “Sembawang beyond the Slumber”.

One Hundred Steps to Heaven (Central - 26 Feb 2011)

I took participants on a walk with the NLB up a hundred steps to the heavenly world of Mount Sophia that was home to the fairy-tale like mansions such as Eu Villa (demolished in 1981). We also explored the neighbouring Mount Emily, the site of Singapore’s first public swimming pool and along with that, some of the areas that were once part of a Jewish and then Japanese quarter. Information relating to the walk and some of what we saw or were transported to can be found in the post “One Hundred Steps to Heaven”.

A four day adventure in the Fragrant Harbour

Courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), I had the opportunity to have a 4 day adventure in Hong Kong with 9 other bloggers. To read our collective Hong Kong Travel Blog entries, please click on the icon below: